Discography errata:
I in a previous entry, I  said that prior to Burn Burn(2009), Gravity(2001)  was Our Lady Peace's newest album. I've since learned that it was, in fact,  Healthy In Paranoid Times(2005).

Album Reviews: Our Lady Peace(Burn Burn) and Shinedown(Sound Of Maddness[delux edition])

Album review: Our Lady Peace—Burn Burn (3.5/5)

Our Lady Peace’s album, Gravity turned me on to them.  Once I’d heard  “Innocent” and “Somewhere Out There,” I got a hold of Naveed, Clumsy  Happiness is not a Fish You Can Catch, and, of course, Gravity. Having just seen them live and fallen in love I waited eagerly for Burn Burn.

Burn Burn is a solid album, Our Lady Peace continues to put out inspirational songs, though they’ve lost a little of the edge they had in Happiness is Not A Fish You Can Catch.  Madia’s vocals, while still impressive, tend to linger in their safe range and he doesn’t push the envelope lyrically as much as he did on previous albums.

While there are a few songs that lean toward the mainstream, front man Raine Madia’s lyrics are still delightfully quirky. Reminiscent of their older work, "Monkey Brains” remains one of Our Lady Peace’s stranger numbers. This album feels like the end of a long struggle, a thank you note kicks off the album in “All You Did Was Save My Life” In a simlar finality, we hear “Signs of Life,” though there is a little flash of the teenaged yearning seen in other albums with “Paper Moon.”

Overall, it feels like they’ve grown through their adolescence without loosing their drive the way that many do.  Great album, though would have been even better  if not held to the high standards other Our lady Peace albums set.

Shinedown: Sound of Madness(4/5)

This was the album that brought Shinedown to my attention; it was the only album I had of theirs for the longest time.  Naturally, I am a little biased toward this wicked little album.

Brent Smith has a sharp tongue and eloquent lyrics.  In looking at the bio for this little Florida band, I discovered ,quiet by accident that part of the inspiration for this album was a visit to Iraq. As a result, lot of the charge and anger prevalent I this piece was given a whole new light. This album almost got a 5/5 as many of the songs on this album hit a chord in my personal life very hard.

Ignoring the personal, because you, dear reader, are not me.  This album was lyrically sharp and obviously came from a deeply personal place for front man Brent Smith. However, it is obvious both from their bio, and from listing to their work that the band is cohesive in its artistry.  The band works together with Smith’s vocals creating a sound that is distinctly Shinedown’s own.  Unlike many artists whose newer albums are not as strong as their previous albums, Shinedown keeps pushing themselves to be better, and keep the edginess alive. They are very much still passionate, which may not seem to be much of a feat after only four albums, but I’ve seen other bands cave to mainstream pressures faster.

I have gushed in previous entrees about Shinedown’s lyrics, they remain evocative and hard edged.  Smith’s eloquence is a wonderful to hear. In a genre dominated by screaming and grunting, Smith’s diction is a welcome pleasure.  Whether it be a haunting melody like “The Crow and the Butterfly” or pleasantly malicious “Sin With a Grin,” Smith brings evocative lyrics and genuine emotion, to an already powerful band.

In addition to the powerful lyrics, this album was also nicely balanced between melodic, in some cases gut-wrenching, slow songs and songs whose crashing drum pulse compel the listener to jump or at the very least headbang.  I find some albums  sound redundant as an artist focuses on a certain sound style. While there is no mistaking Shinedown’s sound, the tracks are distinctive from each other, even in the numbers that are the same tempo. “Sin with a Grin,”for example, is a completely different animal from “Devour.” Similarly “Second Chance” is a completely different, more hopeful creature, from the tortured “Call Me.”

All told this is a very strong album, from both a lyrical and musical standpoint and I’m very much looking forward to seeing what they do next.